For Lilly Patrick (’29), Lipscomb has become the place where her desire is being shaped into a life’s work. And it's why she tells prospective students, without hesitation, “Deciding to come to Lipscomb will change your life… Come to Lipscomb expecting for God to move and change you.”
During her college search, Lilly followed the advice of a friend and attended The Gathering, Lipscomb’s weekly campus-wide chapel and experienced a spiritual culture that felt alive and flourishing. That intentional faith environment, scholarship opportunities and the feeling of belonging she felt on campus ultimately drew her to Lipscomb.
She arrived as a nursing major but quickly realized that wasn’t the right ministry context for her. So she decided to change majors and met with Dr. Deron Smith, a professor in the College of Bible & Ministry and director of the Pastoral Leadership program.
In their first meeting as she was navigating changing majors, Lilly recalls Dr. Smith telling her, “I want to personally come alongside you and help you in this.”
“Hearing that from someone at Lipscomb, whom I barely knew at the time, was so encouraging,” she says.
She’s flourishing as a pastoral leadership major, but Lilly’s calling to ministry goes much deeper. When she was 12, her dad, who was a pastor, lost his battle with cancer, and she wanted to continue his legacy. In the years since, she has discovered a need for and a passion to create a ministry for girls who have lost their father or carry deep wounds from difficult relationships with their father. She wants them to encounter God as a loving father who sees them, who loves them and who can restore what’s broken.
“I honestly don't know what I would do if I wasn't here, because there's just so much about my life and my calling and what I want to do, and the relationships I've made that have been so important to me,” Lilly says. “So I'm very confident that this is where God wants me to be.”
That confidence has come as her story and her calling have converged. Lipscomb is a place that changes lives, and you can be part of that transformation too.
“The Most Intentional People You Will Ever Meet”
“Lipscomb has the most intentional people that you will ever meet, and the relationships that you will make here will change your life.”
Impacting Lives on Campus, in Nashville and Beyond
Nurturing students in their faith journey
At Lipscomb, you will have opportunities to grow in your faith, wherever you find yourself on the journey. "I felt like the spiritual culture and flourishing of Lipscomb was definitely a priority."
Service opportunities abound
As a member of the Nashville community for 135 years, we believe we are called to serve others in our city and provide ways for you to take part in this work. "Lipscomb does a really good job of partnering with nonprofits in the Nashville area… I think Lipscomb really seeks to minister to people in Nashville and do Kingdom work."
Make a difference wherever you go
When you graduate, you will be prepared to lead a life of purpose, excelling in your vocation, leading in your community and applying the knowledge and experiences that shaped you as a Lipscomb student. "I feel very confidently that I'll be prepared for the life I want after college."
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